


Even a Broken Heart Grieves

by tnh1722



Series: Human AU Lightwood-Bane Family [14]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Emotional Confusion, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Good Parent Maryse Lightwood, Heavy Emotions, M/M, Minor Character Death, Past Broken Relationships, Supportive Siblings, Supportive Spouses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 18:33:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18078800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tnh1722/pseuds/tnh1722
Summary: A sudden shock to the family from Robert causes an upheaval of old emotions, uncertainty, and a whole lot of tears. Alec is left at the helm of an extremely difficult decision all while trying to figure out what he and his siblings are feeling. Along the way, the family shows Alec what kind of man he really is and teaches him to appreciate every relationship he has.





	Even a Broken Heart Grieves

**Author's Note:**

> There are some very personal aspects to this story and it has taken me a long time to put it all together. I appreciate the love this series has gotten and this felt right for the world in this series. Thank you for reading and supporting my works. I promise this is not the end of this series, it was just a piece that needed more time and emotion than most of my others.

The family sat around the table in Alec and Magnus’ loft on Sunday night eating dinner. They had been talking about Max and Eve’s dance recital coming up when Alec’s phone interrupted the conversation. He glanced down at his pants pocket where his phone was but continued feeding Sophia. 

“Don’t worry about it, the only people who I answer calls from are sitting at this table besides Lyds and Cat,” Alec said making the family laugh. They went back to the conversation when Alec’s phone started ringing again not even a minute later. “Dios, hang on.” 

Alec handed Magnus Sophia’s food before he grabbed his phone and got up from the table to take a few steps away to answer the call. 

_“Is this Mr. Lightwood?”_

“Mr. Lightwood is my father, this is Mr. Lightwood-Bane,” Alec answered making Magnus smile at the table, listening in on Alec’s response. “Are you looking for Robert or Alexander?” he asked with an eyeroll at using his full name causing the family to laugh. 

_“Alexander Lightwood - my apologies, Mr. Lightwood-Bane, you are listed on our paperwork as just Lightwood. My name is Jessie and I am an intensive care nurse at Mount Sinai Hospital. I am calling to let you know we need you to come to the hospital as soon as you are able. Your father’s condition is quickly declining and we will need you to make some decisions soon.”_

“I’m sorry, there must be a mistake. There is no way I am the emergency contact for him,” Alec replied, face full of disbelief and shock at the nurse’s words. Maryse hushed all the grandkids and turned towards her son thinking it was either Robert or Max. The rest of the family cut their conversation and started to fully listen to Alec’s side of the conversation.

_“Well sir, technically you are not the emergency contact, you are the acting power of attorney. You are the only person listed on your father’s account to make decisions for him. It appears that your father has given you all his medical and financial rights. He is currently on life support as the cancer has progressed much quicker than we expected. We do not believe he will make it much longer.”_

Alec felt an overwhelming amount of emotions, he really didn’t even know how to react. “What? He never...um, okay, I will get there as soon as I can. You said I’m the only person listed?” 

_“Yes, according to our records, sir. Your father is currently critical in the ICU and you would be the only visitor allowed in. You can bring any family members you may need with you, but they will have to stay in the waiting room. We will not be moving forward with any decisions until you arrive. Your father, however, does not have much time to wait. It would be in everyone’s best interest if you were to arrive soon and speak with the doctor overseeing his care.”_

“Okay, yeah, I’ll be there soon. Thank you for letting me know,” Alec replied and let the nurse close the conversation. He stood silently, looking at nothing and placed his phone down on the table while he tried to process everything. He tried to regain his thoughts, running his hands through his hair while his family stared at him. “I guess I have to go...to the hospital. I...I don’t know-”

“Hey, just breathe, darling,” Magnus instructed, suddenly standing in front of Alec to ground him. “Talk to us. What was that about?” 

Alec took a deep breath and squeezed Magnus’ hand. “It’s...He...I need to talk to Mom.” 

Magnus nodded before kissing Alec’s cheek and let Maryse get up to talk his place in front of his husband. Alec took Maryse’s hand and walked them to the living room so they could speak a little more privately. “Mama…” 

“Mijo, whatever is going on, you can talk to me. Just explain and we will figure this out. Who’s in the hospital?” Maryse reassured him while she held his hands in hers. 

Alec nodded while still breathing deeply to attempt staying calm. “That was a nurse from Mount Sinai on the phone. Apparently, Robert has cancer and is now on life support.” 

“Dios mio, I had no idea. He didn’t say anything at the office, he doesn’t say anything anymore unless it’s an angry comment. He took a month vacation, but he told Imogen he was going on a cruise,” Maryse rambled, clearly trying to process how she feels. 

“Yeah, I know. On top of that, the nurse said I am his only power of attorney for everything medical and financial...he never...why would he do that? He has h-hated me for years, Mama and now I have to make decisions about everything...on my o-own...” Alec added while his voice grew shaky from old emotions. 

Maryse pulled his son into her arms and let him process everything silently into her shoulder, clearly overloaded with emotions. She looked up to see Jace, Izzy and Magnus in the doorway, concern written all over their faces. “No, mijo, he doesn’t hate you. He has just been prejudiced and doesn’t understand how to accept differences. I think he has always been jealous of you and your success. And no matter what the paperwork says, you don’t have to do any of this alone. We will all go with you, every step of the way. It is a weird feeling, but all of us are going to grieve in our own ways.” 

Alec sniffled as he lifted his head from her shoulder and wiped a few stray tears away. He took a few more seconds to compose himself before he got off the couch. “Okay, I’m going to go and figure out what is going on. I also need to call Max and get copies of all this paperwork the nurse was talking about and-” 

Alec paused seeing the look on his mother’s face, an unspoken statement of telling him to take a breath. “Will you come with me? The nurse said because I’m the only one on the paperwork that I’m the only one that can see him, but other family can be in the waiting room. I just need to know that you are there.”

“Sweetheart, I would never think of letting you go alone. We are going to do this together, remember?” Maryse responded immediately as she stood up next to him, a hand on his to comfort him. 

Isabelle walked over from the doorway and immediately wrapped her arms around her brother. “Mama’s right, hermano. We would never make you do this by yourself,” she said as she looked up at Alec with tear-filled eyes as she had eavesdropped on the conversation with Magnus and Jace. He mumbled a thank you into her hair and held her tighter in his arms. 

“Are you okay, Iz?” Alec asked as he saw the tears in her eyes. He had been worried about her lately since she just entered the second trimester of pregnancy. It was the worst part for her with the past two kids so the family has been keeping an eye on her every move and facial expression. 

“I’m okay, big brother. Just shocked, I guess. I mean, I cried at a cute baby outfit this morning so don’t worry about a few tears,” Izzy answered with a playful smile and shoulder bump, trying to make Alec smile back.

“Okay, then we should go. I told her I would get there as soon as possible, they can’t do anything without my permission apparently,” Alec said as he rolled his shoulders back and took some settling breaths. The others nodded and followed him into the dining room as Maryse gave everyone a brief summary of what’s going on before they headed out for the hospital, leaving the children with their spouses at the loft. Magnus held on tight to Alec until he reluctantly let him go with his family, leaving a lingering kiss to his cheek to comfort him. 

\---

Alec walked out of the elevator into the hospital wing they had been directed to by the help desk. His hand was in his mother’s strong grasp as they walked together, Izzy on his other side with her arm tucked in his while Jace was opposite Izzy. When they reached the waiting room, a nurse was there waiting for them. 

“You must be Mr. Lightwood-Bane, we spoke on the phone,” the nurse, Jessie, greeted with a warm smile that Alec actually found comforting in this mess. 

Alec extended his hand and introduced the rest of the family. “Okay, Alec, we are going to take you back to see him. The doctor will explain the situation and we will give you time to make the decision. You can come back to this waiting room to be with your family any time you need to. We understand how difficult this can be, but we want to make sure you are aware of the severity of the current situation.” 

“We will be right here whenever you need us,” Jace whispered in his ear as Alec stepped away to follow the nurse. The walk down the hall made him realize how confused he truly was with the situation. He didn’t know how to feel, how he was supposed to feel given his relationship with Robert. 

“Alright, we will give you a few moments alone with your father before the doctor comes in to give you the options. Mr. Lightwood is on life support currently so this may difficult for you to see. Please let us know if you feel sick or faint and we will help,” Jessie told him before she stepped out and closed the door behind her. 

Alec spent the next few minutes at the end of Robert’s bed with his hands on the bed rails trying to figure out his thoughts. He was angry, pissed off that Robert would put him in this position after years of being at odds. He was worried, concerned for his family who would have varying reactions to this confusing grief. He was...upset at the thought of Robert dying...maybe...it’s still his father. 

A voice startled Alec from his thoughts along with the door opening. “Mr. Lightwood-Bane, my name is Dr. Oakland. Do you mind if I explain the situation now? If not, I can give you a few more minutes with him.” 

“Yes, of course, we can talk. And please, call me Alec,” he replied as he extended his hand to the doctor. She came farther into the room and motioned for Alec to have a seat with her in the chairs at Robert’s bedside. 

“Okay, Alec, by the sounds of the situation, you did not know of your father’s current health status. Is that correct?” 

Alec nodded and looked back at his father with another look of confusion. “I didn’t know anything. We don’t have a great relationship...this is all very unexpected. I had no idea I was the power of attorney or anything. Honestly, we haven’t really even been civil with each other in years.” 

“I can’t imagine how you are feeling right now so I am going to do everything I can to make this as easy as possible for you and your family,” she added in a sincere tone. “That being said, your father’s treatments are all failing. He was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer a few months ago. It spread quickly and his oncologist could not maintain it. This morning, he had a stroke due to the cancer overtaking his body and has not regained consciousness. At this point, he is medically brain dead given the lack of blood flow in his brain. We have reached a standstill and are giving him two more days before you have to make a final decision. You can either remove the life support and let him pass here which would take a few minutes to hours once support is removed or you can move him to a hospice care center and wait until he dies naturally which could be days or weeks depending on how long his body holds on with life support measures.” 

“Is he in pain?” Alec asked quietly, trying to process everything he had just been told. 

Dr. Oakland reached out and placed a gentle hand on Alec’s tense forearm. “Your father has been given significant amount of medications to keep him comatose safely, but he is certainly uncomfortable with the state his body is in. And if I can speak openly with you,” she paused waiting for Alec’s nod of permission, “it will only get worse from here until he passes. I know this is difficult to process and unfortunately, based on protocol of these situations, we cannot let your family in here with you until you make the final decision. You can take some time these next two days to fully decide, but the sooner we know, the sooner we can make arrangements for you.” 

Alec gave another silent nod, unsure if he could provide any response to that statement before taking a settling breath. “I understand, I mean, the legal part of it at least. I, um, I need to see my family. I can’t..do this alone right now...”

“That is okay, Alec. You have two days and please rely on your family for support. This is an incredibly difficult situation that you have been thrown into. Please let us know if we can do anything for you to help the process,” the doctor said as she stood up. “The nurse also has copies of all the documents that your father filed. We can give you a private room to read those instead of the waiting room if you like or you can always go home and come back.” 

“I appreciate that, thank you...for everything, doctor,” Alec answered as he rose from his chair to go back to his family. She nodded and led him back down the hall, passing the nurse’s station to grab Robert’s paperwork for Alec. They stopped in front of the waiting room door as she shook his hand again before letting him return to his family. 

“Hermano,” Izzy immediately greeted, taking in his pale color and pained expression. She wrapped him in a hug and felt his entire body deflate against hers. “Are you okay?” she whispered between them and felt him shrug in response. 

Maryse and Jace all stood in the middle of the empty waiting room waiting for the siblings to have their own moment. Izzy had been the most on edge about Alec going alone so they knew she would need to hold him first. She was feeling the most confusion and grief about Robert as she had been the closest with him growing up and the person who brought her the most comfort during times like this was Alec. Both of them took their turns after she stepped away before Alec spoke up again. 

“I’m going to call Max,” he announced as he took his phone from his pocket and watched their faces grow farther concerned. Alec knew he should say more and explain to them what was going on, but he needed to hear his little brother’s voice first. He needed the comfort of accounting for the rest of his family after seeing Robert in the state he was in. 

_“Al, how many times do I have to tell you to check the timezones before you call? It’s the middle of the night here.”_

“Hey bud, I’m sorry for waking you up, but I need to talk to you now. You need to come home-”

_“What happened? Is it Mom? Is it Izzy and the baby? Oh God, Alec, is it you?!”_

“Max, it’s not any of us, take a breathe for me. It’s, um...it’s Dad. He’s sick, bud...he’s dying. You need to come say goodbye,” Alec said, his voice unsteady causing Maryse to reach out for his hand. 

_“Dad? Alec, why are you...after everything he’s done…”_

Alec sighed and squeezed his mother’s hand to ground himself, pushing down the past emotions. “He made me his power of attorney so I am in charge of all the decisions, but Max, that isn’t the point. He is still our father and you need to come see him. I know you, hermano, you would regret it if you didn’t come. I can’t let you do that to yourself, Max.” 

_“Yeah, you’re right, like always. I will book the soonest flight I can. How is...is Izzy okay? And Jace? I just...I don’t know how to feel right now, Alec.”_

“I know, I feel the same way. We are all going to be just fine, Max, I promise. Izzy is with me, she is doing okay, so is Jace, we all are. And Max, I can pay for your plane ticket if you need me to, whatever it takes to get you home,” Alec offered making his family smile at seeing Alec’s true nature making an appearance for a first time since they arrived at the hospital.

_“I can cover it, I will just need someone to pick me up at the airport. I am looking up flights now, I should be able to be home by tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I’ll let you know when I book one. I love you, big brother, I’ll see you tomorrow.”_

“Be safe, we will pick you up tomorrow when you get in, no matter the time. I love you too,” Alec replied before ending the call. He took a second and replayed the conversation in his head, realizing that he had said Dad. He hadn’t called Robert that in years, at least since college and the thought made him feel nauseous. 

“I called him Dad,” Alec said quietly after a few seconds to no one in particular, running a stressed hand through his hair. 

Maryse and Izzy shared a glance of confusion before Jace asked to repeat himself. “We didn’t catch that, Al. What did you say?” 

Alec felt his stomach turn, the need to vomit was crawling through his chest, “I called him Dad….I haven’t called him that in years…” 

“Mijo, it’s o-” Maryse started before Alec jerked a hand towards his mouth suddenly causing her to stop. “Alec?” 

“I’m going to be sick,” Alec blurted out before striding to the trashcan and emptying his stomach. Izzy quickly moved to his side and ran a comforting hand up and down Alec’s back while the others watched with wide eyes. Alec let himself hover above the bin as his sister whispered calming words into his ear as she tried to ease her nausea at the same time. 

Maryse felt her anger growing towards Robert for not only hiding that he was dying but leaving their son in a situation like this to deal with it all. It was breaking her heart to see Alec struggle so heavily with something that should never have been his responsibility. She had taken over as the leader of their family when they left Robert behind, but Alec had always been the strong pillar of support for everyone. He was always the one the family found comfort in and went to for advice. He was rarely emotionally vulnerable like he is now and at this moment, she didn’t know how to fix it.

“They won’t let anyone else see him until I make the final decision. Can we just...go home for right now? I can’t do this here and I need to see Magnus and the kids,” Alec rambled out, letting himself lean into Jace for support as he took the cup of water and tissue Izzy was offering him. 

“Of course, big brother, you’re calling the shots here. Whatever you need, we’ll do,” Jace answered strongly in hopes of getting through to Alec who nodded and gave him a small smile in response. They all headed out in a similar manner to the way they came in and Alec struggled through describing the medical information during the drive home. Izzy helped Alec fill in the gaps and explain the severity of the situation from the medical perspective. The rest of the drive was filled with heavy silence until they reached the Brooklyn loft. 

\---

When the group walked into the loft, Alec immediately headed for the kids’ bedrooms, seeking the comfort of knowing his children are safe. He hadn’t had this much emotional confusion in years, but as always, his father is at the root of the issue. His mind was whirling between making decisions, the need to comfort his family, the confusion of his father’s intentions, and the overall feeling of his father dying. 

The rest of them went to their spouses as soon as they walked in. Magnus followed Alec down the hall as Izzy made her way to Simon in the kitchen, the other four adults in the living room. Out of anyone else, Isabelle could understand her brother’s conflict the most. She walked straight into Simon’s arms when she saw him and tried to fight off the tears she felt work their way back up.

“Iz, honey, it’s okay to cry. You don’t have hide that from any of us, especially me,” Simon whispered into her hair as he held her. “Are you feeling okay? Not too much stress right?” 

She sniffled and pressed her forehead deeper into her husband’s shoulder. “The baby is fine, I feel good physically. I just don’t want to feel like this mentally, it feels wrong to cry for him after everything he has done. The way he treated everyone, the way he treated Alec…”

“Izzy, no matter what he’s done, he is still the man that raised you. I’m sure there are good memories of him somewhere and you are going to grieve. You are still losing a family member, you are losing your father. I’ve been there, I know how hard this is.” Simon held her tighter when she hiccuped a sob at his words. Simon ran his hand up and down her back trying to relax her.

“Honestly, we lost him a long time ago. Now he’s dying and has decided to make that Alec’s burden to shoulder. Part of me wants to believe it’s because he knows Alec is the best person to take care of these things and he still cares about Alec, but another part of me thinks it was one final screw you. Either way, Alec needs support and I can’t do anything besides cry because of these stupid hormones going crazy,” Izzy ranted as she tried to even her breathing. 

Simon let her calm down while swaying them slowly, “You know that Alec would never hold this against you, right? Is that what you are worried about? That your brother is going to be upset that you are grieving?” 

Izzy shrugged her shoulders and stayed tucked into Simon, not denying the question. “Isabelle, we both know that Alec would never be upset with you for what your feeling. I don’t think Alec even has the ability to actually be upset with you, especially right now. I bet if you actually talked to him about, he is feeling just as confused as you are. You are both such loving people, things like this are never easy.” 

“Thank you,” she whispered into his neck while still holding onto him for a few seconds. When she stepped back, she noticed Magnus and Alec in a similar embrace down the hall as well as Maryse leaning into Luke on the couch and Clary running her hand through Jace’s hair while he laid in her lap. This was going to be incredibly difficult, but they had each other. 

She watched Alec walk back into the kitchen with Magnus and expected him to grab the envelope on the counter to read the paperwork, but instead, she felt herself nearly get picked up off the floor in her brother’s strong but gentle arms. “How are you doing? Are you feeling okay?” he asked quietly into her hair.

“I’m better now. The baby is doing fine,” Izzy answered honestly as she clung to Alec, not allowing him to break the hug quite yet. They stood together in the kitchen and she let a few more tears slip into her brother’s shirt. This time the tears were from relief and love for her brother rather than confusion and worry. 

“Hermana, I know you are confused, I am too. Please don’t hide anything for my sake. I would never be angry with you about how you feel. You were close with him when we were kids, it’s going to be the hardest on you. No matter how I am feeling, I am always your big brother and you can always come to me, okay?” Alec said softly between them, he was sure that their spouses heard the interaction, but it felt like they were in their own private bubble. 

Izzy pulled her face away from Alec’s chest and looked up at him. “I love you, so much. And no matter what those papers say or what decisions you make or how you feel about this, I always will love you. You can always come to me too.” Alec released a shaky breath as if he was expecting something else from her and pressed a kiss to her forehead with a whispered ‘I love you too’ in return.

“Okay, as much as this was needed and as adorable as you two are, I will start crying if you keep going and Alexander has not eaten dinner. Simon will make some tea and I will heat up the leftovers, you go sit with your mother and your brother and give them the same speech you just gave each other,” Magnus instructed while shooing them out of the kitchen, making both siblings smile at him. 

\---

Maryse had walked around the subject of her own feelings all night, consistently shifting the conversation back to her children and their feelings. At this point, she was trying to figure out how Alec was really feeling because his focus was, of course, on everyone but himself. 

“Mijo, I think you should look over the paperwork now. Whatever it says will give you some direction on how you feel. I know he wasn’t anything close to a loving father towards you for awhile, but knowing him, there is at least closure in there,” she offered, sliding the still sealed envelope across the coffee table towards him. 

Alec’s eyes looked wary as if the envelope would hurt him if he touched it. Knowing that his father’s words were inside made him feel indescribable emotions as to whether or not he actually wanted to read and act on Robert’s dying wishes. “I think I want to wait to read it until Max is here. It doesn’t feel right to do it without him,” Alec said quietly. 

“You know,” Clary commented with a smile in her eyes, starting another attempt at making Alec laugh tonight, “I know Robert wasn’t the greatest, but at least your father wasn’t a B movie level psycho villian,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

A few seconds of silence passed before the entire group bursted out in laughter. Alec shared a thankful smile with Clary at her breaking the tension before he replied. “Dios mio, does anyone have a good dad these days?” 

“Hey! I do!” a little voice called out from the entry of the living room startling the adults. Alec looked to see his four year old staring back at him with almost offended eyes. “I have the best Daddy ever,” Max declared as he stepped farther into the room, now almost nervous about interrupting the adult talk. 

Alec’s face morphed into the softest expression as tears gathered on his waterline. “Come here,” he whispered with his hand outstretched for his son. He had his eyes locked on Max so he couldn’t see his family surrounding him with similar expressions to his as they watched. Alec pulled Max onto his lap and wrapped him in a tight hug. “I love you, Max.” 

“I love you too, Daddy. Please don’t be sad,” Max replied as he saw a few tears on Alec’s cheeks. Alec leaned forward and kissed Max’s forehead, his eyes closed tight as he was once again overwhelmed with emotions. 

Alec leaned back while still keeping a tight hold on his son. “What about Papa? Isn’t he the best dad too?” he asked genuinely as he glanced at his husband at his side who had a warm smile plastered on his face.

“Daddy, he can’t be the best dad because he is a papa. He’s the best Papa, duh,” Max answered with a serious tone as if it was obvious information making Alec chuckle softly. Magnus leaned over and kissed Max’s cheek as he struggled to keep his tears in too. The three of them had a silent cuddle for a minute before Max started yawning. 

“Let’s get you to bed, pequeño. It’s past your bedtime,” Alec announced as he shifted to set him down on the floor. 

Max gripped a little tighter to Alec’s shirt. “Will you sing to me, Daddy? I couldn’t go to sleep because you missed our bedtime song.” Alec nodded with a smile and moved to stand up with his son still in his arms. Max then got closer and cupped his hand to Alec’s ear. He attempted to whisper, but the entire room heard him. “Uncle Si tried to sing your song, but it didn’t sound like you. Then he sang a different song and it made Sophie cry.”

Alec couldn’t help but laugh as he saw the mortified look on his brother-in-law’s face while the rest of the family laughed too. “Well, I guess I’ll have to fix that, huh?” Max just nodded in response as Alec bounced him slightly and started singing in his ear while starting to walk towards his bedroom. Magnus offered Isabelle the entire box of tissues as she was fully sobbing. The family watched him go with loving smiles and Magnus decided to call it a night with the new lightened mood making the thought of sleeping easier. 

\---

The next morning, Alec sat in one of their living room armchairs staring blankly at the window while cradling a cup of coffee. He barely slept during the night and was woken by Sophia an hour after he had actually managed to fall asleep. He had helped Magnus get the kids ready for the day and Clary came to pick them up for daycare. Magnus came into the room after getting ready for work and felt his heart clench at the sight of his husband. 

Magnus stepped over in front of the chair and knelt down between Alec’s legs, running his hands along Alec’s thighs with a gentle, calming touch. “How are you doing, love?” he asked which received a shrug and small grateful smile for the concern. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home with you? I hate to leave you alone with everything going on.”

Alec looked more alert now as he answered, “No, Jace and Izzy will be here soon and then Mom and Max will be here. I will be alright. I...I know I will need you tonight and tomorrow more.”

“And I will be there whenever you need me, but it’s okay to need me right now too. I know I need you all the time. Just say the word and I’ll stay home. I have plenty of vacation time and I’ll just worry about you all day anyway,” Magnus replied as he placed a hand on Alec’s cheek. 

“Izzy is almost here and I have to leave in a little bit to get Max. You go to work and then it will feel even better to have you come home tonight,” Alec said while leaning into his husband’s touch. 

Magnus smiled softly at Alec’s words and nodded in agreement. “I love you,” he whispered in the small space between their faces. 

“I love you, too.” Alec closed the short distance between them for a quick but firm kiss, thanking his husband through the kiss for all his support. He kept his eyes closed for a bit as he let his forehead rest against Magnus. 

“Call me today, any time. Even if you just want to talk about something else or you need someone who doesn’t remind you of him. It will not interrupt my day, I promise. I always have time for you,” Magnus added as he pulled away to stand up. Alec nodded in response with a growing smile and Magnus leaned down to kiss him one more time, lingering and softer than the first one. They just shared a loving gaze until Isabelle knocked on the front door pulling them into the day. 

\---

The three older siblings had gone to the airport and picked up Max a few hours ago. All four were now in Magnus and Alec’s loft catching up with each other. Well, Max was telling them what was going on with him while Alec curled up with his head in Izzy’s lap on the couch and fell asleep. 

“I think Alec fell asleep,” Max whispered at the end of his story about his latest safari trip. 

“Good, Magnus said he barely slept last night. I’m worried about him. He is usually so good under stress, but this is tearing him up,” Jace replied softly, sharing a concerned look with Izzy. 

Max huffed and folded his arms over his chest. “I cannot tell you how pissed I am at Dad for doing this. Alec is the last person who deserves this. I mean, he may be the best with decisions like this but not when it comes to our father.” 

“Join the club, but we have to stop talking about it that way. We need to act like we aren’t bothered by the decision and just support Alec. If we keep up the negativity, it will just make him feel worse because then he is going to feel like he isn’t taking care of us, on top of everything else.” Izzy’s voice was stern but warm at the same time while she ran a hand through her brother’s hair. 

Alec’s hand suddenly came up and grabbed his sister’s from his hair. “I appreciate that, Iz, but nobody is allowed to hide their feelings. Everybody got that?” 

“You’re included in everybody, big brother. Same goes for you, you have to stop worrying about everyone else before yourself,” Izzy replied with a smirk when Alec scoffed in return. 

“Yeah, okay. I’ll do my best,” Alec said softly, sitting up and reaching for his phone. “Magnus is on lunch so I’m going to call him. You three figure out what we are eating before Mom gets here because I don’t want her to have to cook for us.”

“Al, you’re worrying again. You literally broke the rule in ten seconds,” Max said making them all laugh. Alec walked over and ruffled Max’s hair with a mumbled apology before leaving the room to call Magnus. 

“He’s going to be okay, right?” Max asked, his voice lacking all the lightness it had before Alec left the room. 

Jace got up and sat beside Max, throwing his arm around his little brother’s shoulders. “Of course, he’s Alec. And even if he isn’t okay right now, we will be there for him until he is okay.”

\---

The day had passed quickly with conversation of their options for Robert. Alec explained exactly what the doctor had told him during his visit. At this point, the entire family was over at the loft again and had just cleaned up dinner. Alec was putting off reading the paperwork again, excusing himself, Isabelle, and Jace to put the kids down for bed. 

Twenty minutes later, Alec was the last one to come back into the living room which was completely silent. He grabbed the envelope off the coffee table and fidgeted with his glasses before speaking. “I want to read these by myself first if that’s okay. I think it will be a little easier.” 

“Take all the time you need, Alec,” Luke said after a brief silence. It was evident that Magnus and Isabelle were both against the idea of him reading alone based off their facial expressions so Luke decided to step in for Alec’s sake. 

Alec nodded and walked to the dining room table where he sat and opened the envelope. There was a full copy of his will and then a set of small envelopes addressed to each Lightwood child. He moved the letters to the side and started with the will first which had his name at the top as the executor. 

The first part stated that all of his monetary financials would be split equally between the four kids as well as separate trust funds that had been set up for each grandchild. Alec was surprised by that as Robert never mentioned an interest in provided for any of their children. Robert also set aside an account for Maryse with the full amount of what he owed her from their divorce. 

The business breakdown was next which was probably the only thing that Alec was expecting. He was already a senior partner and Jace was already receiving the Herondale side from Imogen so it only made sense that he received the share of the law firm. Robert left the entire Lightwood share to Alec as well as their seats on the board of trustees. Since the Lightwoods have 70% in the business after Jace sold his parents share to Alec, that means Alec is officially the highest seat in the firm. Even higher than Imogen. 

Then it got to the personal distributions, the most surprising thing for him by far. Paragraphs went on of things left to his siblings which he was fine with, what he wanted actually. As the list ended, Alec felt his breath catch in his chest when he read that the completely paid off family estate in the Upper East Side of Manhattan was left to him. The large penthouse that Robert had once kicked him out of now belonged to him and he didn’t know how he was feeling about it. Alec rested his head in his hands for a second while taking deep breaths and tried to process the thought of going back to that house for the first time since Isabelle’s graduation day all those years ago. 

“Al?” Max’s voice asked from the living room where he almost got out of his seat to sit beside his big brother. Max and Alec always had an incredibly close relationship and Max couldn’t bear seeing him struggling. He just wanted to hug his brother and not let go.

Alec sniffed and offered a tiny smile in his little brother’s direction. “I’m okay, bud,” he answered before turning back to the papers in front of him. The rest of the will was all legal procedure so Alec moved on to the letter. He opened it slowly and tried to calm himself when he saw his father’s handwriting. 

**Alec,**

**I know this is the last thing you were expecting of me and I do want to apologize for forcing you into making this decision, but I knew you would be the best one for the task. Your sister would be too emotional and your brothers don’t see the entire picture like you do. I knew you would make the best choice for the family, for me.**

**I spent so many years holding things against you instead of being your father. My own ignorance took my family away and I cannot apologize enough for doing what I did. You did not deserve the treatment you were given and it will always be my biggest regret.**

**You are such an intelligent man, son. I could not be more proud of your success as a lawyer and a father. You are such a better father than me, anyone can see that from your photos alone. Your children are happy, your spouse is happy, your whole family is happy because of you. That is partially why I left you the estate because that house deserves to be a home with a good father in it. Something that it has been lacking for a long time.**

**Thank you for becoming the man that you have despite what life has dealt you and taking my place in being the man of the family. Never doubt yourself because of my actions. You are a hundred times the man that I am and deserve nothing but love and happiness.**

**Te amo, mi tesoro.**

Alec couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down his face as his breath hitched at the last line. He gripped the paper and then threw it down on the table, pushing his chair away to stand up. He heard his family asking if he was alright as he quickly tried to wipe his tears away. “I need some air,” he said quietly before getting up, throwing his glasses down onto the table, and walking to the balcony doors without even looking over at his family. 

He walked straight onto the balcony and rested his forearms down on the ledge while he cried into his hands. Alec couldn’t stop the tears no matter how hard he tried and knew it was a matter of time before at least one family member followed him outside. He had his eyes closed tight, willing the tears to stop and the breaths to slow down. He rarely cried, but once he started, it was nearly impossible for him to stop on his own. 

Alec relaxed when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist and pair of lips press into his shoulder. Magnus was the person he was most comfortable crying in front of and felt relief that his husband won the apparent fight as to who would console Alec. He moved one of his hands to hold Magnus’ around his waist and he let out a deep, shaky breath. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“For what, darling?” Magnus asked, surprising Alec who was expecting to be told not to apologize as everyone had been telling him for the past day. His husband always knew what to do to get him to talk. 

“I don’t know...hiding, I guess. Walking away and not letting you guys in. I promised them I wouldn’t hide my feelings, but I just can’t help it. To be honest, I don’t even know what I am feeling at this point. This is all just..so much...” Alec answered softly while he let Magnus turn him around to face each other. 

Magnus cupped Alec’s face and wiped his tears before responding. “I have no idea what that letter said, but based off your reaction, I know it was incredibly painful to read. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you, bringing up all these buried memories. All I know is that I love you and I support whatever you need right now. And if what you need is some time alone to cry it out on our balcony, then that’s what you’ll get. I just hate seeing you upset so I had to come out here. Isabelle and Max wanted to come, but I knew you’d rather cry in front of me until you calmed down.” 

Alec shook his head slightly with a smile slowly formed on his face. He pulled himself into Magnus’ arms for a hug and whispered into his neck, “I love you so much.” Magnus held him tighter and rocked side to side while Alec calmed down. After a few minutes, Alec lifted his head and said, “He called mi tesoro. That’s how he ended the letter. He said he loved me and used that name.” 

“What does it mean?” Magnus asked softly, not letting Alec escape his embrace quite yet. 

“My treasure…” Alec replied, his voice hoarse with emotion. “That is what he called me when I was young. It’s the one name I’ve never called any of you because that was his for me. I think that was his way of making sure I knew his words were genuine. He wouldn’t have said that if he didn’t mean it.” 

“Isn’t that a good thing? That he meant it?” Magnus asked genuinely while running his hands up and down Alec’s arms to comfort him. 

Alec shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into Magnus. “I’m not sure. I think the fact that he waited until he was dying to tell me that he loved me in a letter makes me more angry than anything else. I mean, after all these years, he couldn’t own his mistakes enough to do it in person.” 

Magnus just nodded and ran his hands down Alec’s arms until he could lace their fingers together. “Which makes perfect sense, but there is a room full of people in there that love you and will tell you without question. And I think it will make you feel better if we go back inside. Maybe talk through the will so the others can process it with you. Also, Isabelle is beside herself and she only wants you. She refused everyone, even your mother and Max is deeply worried about you.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Alec replied as he let Magnus lead him back into the loft. He grabbed the papers and his glasses from the dining room table and immediately met his sister in the middle of the room in a tight hug. The room was silent except for Izzy’s whimpering sniffles and Alec’s reassuring whispers in her ear for nearly a minute.

“I’m sorry, I’m okay. I was just worried and needed to know if you were alright,” Izzy said softly as she let her grip loosen. She went to step back towards her spot on the couch when Alec took her hand and walked them both to the open armchair, sitting her over the side of him like the used to sit when they were kids. Maryse couldn’t help but smile seeing her children support one another.

He looked up at saw Max’s heavy gaze on him, still not convinced. Alec nodded to his brother with a small, apologetic smile and watched Max’s shoulders release some tension. Jace noticed the underlying worry as well so he went over and pulled Max down to sit beside him on the floor near Alec’s chair. 

Alec cleared his throat and everyone waited for him to start explaining the will. Izzy grabbed up his free hand that wasn’t holding the papers as an anchor for both of them. “He broke everything up evenly when it comes to financials. 25% for each of us as well as trust funds for each of our kids.. There is also an account left to Mom with the remaining amount of what he owes for the divorce settlement.” 

“Really?” Maryse asked with surprise as Alec rattled of the list. She couldn’t believe her ex-husband actually would execute a will, let alone a fair one. “Mijo, is there actually an account or is that what you plan on doing with your share?” she asked with an eyebrow raised. 

The family laughed as Alec rolled his eyes. “No, Mama, I swear, there is actually an account for you. But if there is something in here that is important to you, I’ll make sure you get it.” 

Maryse thought about disagreeing with him, but she knew that would be a fight she would never win. “Thank you, sweetheart.” 

Alec nodded in response, happy with her answer. “The vacated Lightwood share of the law firm goes to me as well as choice of our five seats on the board of trustees along with my current share and Mom’s after she retires,” Alec said without looking up. 

He missed Maryse and Jace’s proud smiles at the thought of him taking over the business fully. Izzy and Max also shared a similar look before Max said, “Obviously the best choice.” 

Jace patted Max on the shoulder when Alec looked up at him with a small smile. “As for the non-monetary items, Izzy gets all the family heirlooms, china, and jewelry. Jace and Max will split the deed for the house in the Hamptons and-”

“Your family has a house in the Hamptons?” Simon asked suddenly, receiving quite a glare from Magnus and Clary for interrupting. 

“Yes, but we haven’t been in years. Actually, Alec isn’t even allowed there,” Izzy answered with a hint of laughter in her voice. 

Alec scoffed while Jace and Max chuckled at their siblings. “Iz, it was a one year ban. I’m sure I could get back in if I wanted to.” 

“Hang on, Alexander actually broke a rule and got in trouble for it?” Magnus asked with a grin he was trying to hide from his mock-glaring husband. 

“I wouldn’t say that exactly. More like he defended Izzy and it was the wrong family that caught him,” Jace answered, making Max laugh even more. 

“Defended is putting it lightly, J,” Max added, avoiding the look Alec was giving him. 

Izzy rolled her eyes at all three of her brothers. “We were in high school and went to the neighbor’s house for a party. Their son called me a bitch because I wouldn’t kiss him so Alec punched him. He broke the kid’s nose which caused his parents to call management. Alec ended up getting banned from our neighborhood for a year because he refused to apologize and the kid ended up needing reconstructive surgery.” 

“Okay, a good reminder to never mess with Alec,” Simon said causing everyone to laugh. Alec rolled his eyes and adjusted his glasses before continuing with the will. He would have to remember to thank Simon later for breaking up the heaviness and bringing laughs to the situation. 

“Anyway,” Alec started again, settling everyone down as he started listing everything off again. He went through the rest of the smaller things, allowing his siblings to process what was left for them until he reached the end of the list. 

“What about you?” Max asked after Alec finished reading. “There wasn’t anything for you besides the business.” Max and Isabelle both looked concerned while Maryse locked eyes with Alec. She knew what was missing from the list and gave him a sad look. 

“He, uh, left me the penthouse...the, uh, Lightwood estate...in Manhattan…” Alec said to no one in particular. He expected a few reactions, but they were all caught off guard by Jace’s outburst. 

“You’re joking, right? That asshole left you the house that he kicked you out of and all of the business responsibility?! That’s what you get!?” Jace said as he got up from his spot next to Max. Alec stared at him with surprised wide eyes, not knowing how to respond. “God, this is so fucking ridiculous!” he added before leaving the room and walking out onto the balcony. Max and Clary both called out for him while Izzy and Magnus were focused on Alec who looked distraught. 

Clary was about to ask Alec if he wanted to go talk to Jace with her when Alec silently got up and left the room going the opposite way to he and Magnus’ bedroom. The room stayed silent as the rest of the family tried to figure out what had happened. Maryse stood and looked at her children as she spoke, “I’m going to check on Jace, Clary and Isabelle, why don’t you come with me? Magnus, take Max and see what Alec needs. Lucian, could you and Simon make sure we didn’t wake the children?” Everyone nodded in response and moved around the loft. 

\---

“Alexander, can Max and I come in?” Magnus asked as he cracked the door open. He heard a soft mumble come from their bed where Alec was sitting with his head in his hands. Magnus made his way over and sat beside his husband to take his hand. 

Max grabbed the bench from Magnus’ vanity and sat in front of his brother. “You can’t blame yourself for Jace’s anger. He’s not angry at you, he’s angry at the situation, angry at Robert, and you know it,” Max said bluntly, knowing that is exactly why Alec fled the living room. 

“That’s not-”

“Don’t lie to me, big brother. We both know each other too well for that,” Max replied as Magnus raised his brow at Max’s approach. “I’m not going to tell you everything is fine and coddle you because you hate that and you will get more frustrated, but I am not lying to you when I say it is not your fault. This whole things sucks for all of us, you more than anyone. At the end of the day, all of this is Robert’s fault. He left it behind with no warning. Jace is not mad at you and somewhere in that over-analytical head of yours, you know that.” 

Alec reached one hand forward to grab Max’s and slightly rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I forget how damn smart you are.” 

“I grew up with you and Izzy, of course I’m smart,” Max said, smiling back with a wink making Alec chuckle. “Which means I know that you are thinking of ways to get rid of the house in Manhattan, but you should really think about keeping it.”

“Max…”

“I’m serious, Al. I loved that house until you didn’t live there anymore. The roof used to be my favorite place in the entire world to hangout with you. Robert made that house what it is to us now, he took the happiness out of it. You and Magnus could bring it back. You could make it a home again. Just think about it, please...for me, for all of us,” Max explained before he got up, patted Alec on the shoulder, and left the couple to discuss it on their own. 

Magnus ran his hand up and down Alec’s back while composing his thoughts. “I think we should consider it, love. I’m sure the house is beautiful, a place we could raise our children.” 

Alec turned to him with wide eyes, a mix of surprise and a bit of misplaced anger. “Magnus, this is our home. We had our first date here, I proposed to you here, we are raising our children here. How could we leave it?” 

“I know, darling, and all of those things are a valid argument, but our loft is getting tight. As a couple and as a family, we need more space. Both of us work in Manhattan, the kids are barely in school yet so that wouldn’t affect them. We would be closer to everyone, especially your sister and Catarina. The kids could have a big house to spread out in. Also, if I’m being honest, I really didn’t think we were finished expanding our family yet.” 

“You want more kids?” Alec asked as if he forgot about the rest of the argument. 

Magnus huffed a small laugh and squeezed Alec’s hand. “Although that is not the point I was trying to get across right now, yes. We certainly have the means to care for a bigger family and we both love being fathers. I love our family and if it stays this way, I’m perfectly fine with that, but I would love to have at least entertain the idea one or two more. With Isabelle and Simon expecting again, it made me realize how much I would love to grow our family too.”

“Yeah, I’ve actually been trying to bring that up for awhile, but I figured we needed more time with Sophia before we jumped back into the adoption pool,” Alec said as he leaned in for a kiss. 

“Well, I think that is even more reason to consider the house. We are ready for the next step of our lives together. A new house is pretty much the only thing on our list that we haven’t checked off yet.” Magnus had a small grin on his face, trying to convince his husband. 

Alec nodded slightly with a tight smile. “I’ll think about it.” 

“That’s all I ask, darling,” Magnus replied with a kiss to Alec’s cheek. “Why don’t you take a shower? Just have some time away from everyone that no one can interrupt. I know you haven’t had much time lately to just be alone with your thoughts and it’s wearing you down.” 

“Dios mio, you are the best,” Alec whispered as he leaned into Magnus for a few more seconds. 

Magnus gave him one more kiss as he laughed and rose from the bed. “Why thank you, love. Take as much time as you need.” As Magnus exited their bedroom, he was met with Max who was waiting in the hallway. 

“Could we talk? Just us?” Max asked. Magnus nodded in response so Max motioned for them to go into the study where he took a seat on the sofa in between Alec and Magnus’ desks. They had grown closer since Alec and Magnus got married, but Alec was typically always the one Max went to for advice. Seeing the current situation, it made sense that Max needed someone else to talk to that wasn’t as emotional as he and his siblings. 

“Aside from the issue at hand, is everything alright?” Magnus responded, concerned at Max’s behavior. He wasn’t one to come off as anxious or nervous, he was always the confident one.

Max smiled and waved him off. “Actually, yeah, things were going great for me before Alec called about this stuff.”

“That’s wonderful, Max. Then is it the conversation we just had? Do you want to talk about Alexander?” 

“Sort of, I guess. I know Alec is going to be a hard sell about the house because he doesn’t want to part with your loft. Obviously there are underlying things with our old house, but he is mainly just attached to your home now. That’s how Alec has always been. He’s a big softie.” Max smiled when he heard Magnus’ chuckle and sound of agreement.

“I completely agree. He actually mentioned it after you left, that he didn’t want to part with the loft because of all the important milestones that has happened here for us as a couple,” Magnus responded.

Max nodded in response. “I, um, was thinking...that, maybe...I could rent the loft from you.” 

“What?” Magnus said, a little shocked at Max’s offer. “Max, we would never ask you to pay for the loft. If we wanted to keep it, we could pay for it. And you shouldn’t decide to move back to New York just because of this, no matter how upset Alexander is.” 

“See, that’s the thing. I have been looking at places in New York for the past couple weeks. I have loved being in South Africa, but a couple opportunities have come up. I got offered a full-time position with National Geographic instead of freelancing. I get to pick between New York, LA, Chicago, and Seattle as a home base. New York was the obvious choice. Ella found a position with a food magazine here too. She is actually from Jersey so her family would love to have her back home too. I was going to tell everyone as soon as I had officially accepted,” Max explained, his smile growing as he went on. 

“Max, congratulations! That is amazing! I cannot tell you how excited they will be to hear that, particularly Mom,” Magnus answered as he pulled Max in for a hug. 

Max couldn’t help but let a tear slip from his eye. “Yeah, this has mainly been a wake up call that I’ve been away long enough. I was considering the job before, but now I definitely have to take it. I don’t know what I would have done if it was Mom instead of Robert. It’s time to be home and maybe settle down. Alec’s been on my case for over a year now about bringing Ella home to meet everyone. I haven’t been here in time to see any of my nieces or nephews born or brought home, I always meet them later than everyone else. And, honestly, sometimes I just miss you guys so much that it hurts. Everytime I end a FaceTime with Alec or Izzy, I could cry with how bad I want to hug them.”

“Everyone will be so happy to have you home, Max. Alexander will be over the moon. No matter the reason, this is a good thing. Don’t let the other things happening right now bring you down. And I can see the worry in your face when you look at Alec and Isabelle. They are going to be okay, it’ll take time, but you all will be alright in the end because you have each other,” Magnus said.

“Thank you, Magnus. Seriously, none of us could do this without you, especially my brother.” 

\---

Maryse motioned Clary and Isabelle onto the balcony where they found Jace leaning against the railing. She walked to him and took his hand to guide him back onto the outdoor seating. Clary took the seat beside him as Izzy sat in front of them on the table. 

“Is Alec okay?” Jace asked in a small voice before Maryse could start talking. 

“Max and Magnus are talking to him. I think you both are totally overwhelmed right now,” Izzy answered as she patted his knee. 

Jace shook his head and looked up at her, his face full of stress. “I shouldn’t have yelled. That is the last thing Alec needs right now.” 

“That may be true for him, but it is what you needed, sweetheart,” Maryse replied, brushing some of his hair behind his ear making him smile a little bit. “You and Alec are different people when it comes to emotions. He needs quiet while he can analyze everything. You need a release. That’s why when Alec cries or yells, it breaks my heart because that means he is consumed by whatever he is feeling and he has hit a wall. But with you, the crying and yelling means you are working through it which makes me feel better. I hate to see any of you upset, but I know what you need and this is what you needed.” 

“Thanks, Mom,” Jace whispered as he leaned over to hug Maryse. He let the hug linger while he further calmed himself before speaking again. “It just really hit me when Alec was talking about the will how unfair this all is for him. All these things left to us with no real responsibility and what does Alec get? The law firm, the estate, and all the paperwork. Alec is always the one taking care of everybody whether he chooses to or not. How is that fair?” 

Clary saw the look of unsure sadness on Maryse and Isabelle’s faces so she decided to pitch in. She grabbed his hand and pulled his focus towards her. “Believe me when I say that I agree with you about Alec taking care of everyone, but let’s think about it from a different perspective. Let’s say that Robert left all the responsibility to Izzy. The decision and the will and everything was on her. How would Alec react?” 

“He would do everything in his power to help me and take it off my shoulders, especially right now,” Izzy said as she motioned to her stomach and realized the point Clary was making. 

“Exactly. As much as I hate to see all of you having to deal with this, Alec is in the best possible position to deal with this because I know there is a part of him somewhere that is grateful it’s not one of you,” Clary said as she took a break to let them process it. “At the end of the day, it is not fair to any of you to be thrown into this, but you have the family to rely on. It’s okay to have to yell or cry or be alone for a little while because there will be someone else there to fill your spot when you need a break. And I’ll bet anything, Max is in there right now giving Alec some real talk too because that is what he does best.” 

Maryse smiled at Clary as Jace pulled her into a hug and kissed her temple. He whispered a thank you followed by Izzy saying the same thing. “Why don’t we go back in and talk about arrangements? I’m pretty sure I know how Alec will decide and if we can take those decisions off his shoulders, it may be easier for him,” Maryse offered as she stood up. 

“Yeah, good plan, Mama,” Izzy replied softly as she took her mother’s hand offered to help her up and walk back inside, giving Jace and Clary a moment alone together. 

\---

The family had regrouped in the living room discussing various things that will need to be done for Robert’s services when Alec emerged from his bedroom. He was now in sweatpants and a hoodie looking much more relaxed than before. He walked straight to the loveseat and sat himself down between Magnus and Izzy. 

Alec took a deep breath and settled into Magnus’ side as Izzy rested her head on his shoulder. “I think we should remove the life support tomorrow and let him go. I obviously would like to have more time to work through this, but we have to do it. No matter what he’s done in the past, I don’t want him to suffer in pain in some nursing home. Nobody deserves that,” he said softly, almost hesitantly. 

“I agree, big brother,” Izzy replied as she moved to hold his hand. She could tell he was tense as if he was making the wrong decision but relaxed some when she agreed with him. 

“You know that I will always be on your side of this, Alec,” Jace added.

Max nodded with that statement. “Yeah, Al, you would never take this decision lightly so whatever you think, I’m in.” 

“For what it’s worth, Alec, the choice to let him go now instead of later is admirable. Many people would want that time to grieve and process and choose themselves over the person dying. Putting his pain above your own shows what kind of man you are,” Luke said as he could sense that Alec was still not sure of himself. 

Izzy squeezed Alec’s hand tight to convey that she agreed with Luke and Alec sniffled quietly as he took a deep breath. “Thank you, Luke,” he said as the others voiced similar opinions. 

“How about we all get some rest? We are all a little emotionally drained right now and tomorrow will not be any easier, unfortunately. Feel free to stay or come back in the morning,” Magnus announced as he got up and held his hand out for Alec to stand with him. 

Maryse and Luke decided to head home, Jace and Clary choosing to leave with them since they lived the closest to the loft so it wasn’t a far trip with sleeping kids. Izzy and Max felt the need to be close to Alec so they stayed, Izzy and Simon taking the guest room while Max took the couch. 

However, there wasn’t much sleep to be had between the Lightwood children that night. Alec heard voices around two in the morning and thought it might be the kids. He got up to check on them and found his brother and sister curled up the couch with the television on low volume, talking in hushed tones. 

“Sorry, hermano, we didn’t mean to wake you up,” Izzy said as soon as she heard him walk in. 

Alec waved her off with a smile. “Iz, you should be getting as much rest as possible. Hot chocolate huddle?” 

Max perked up with an equally large smile and nodded. “Yes, definitely. Do you have whipped cream?”

“Are you serious? I’m offended, bud. What kind of household do you think I run around here? Of course, I do,” Alec responded with a smirk as he walked to the kitchen while his siblings giggled behind him. Max felt lighter at hearing the first genuine Alec-sounding comment he’s heard since he got back to New York. Alec watched them both shuffle in and sit at the kitchen island as he got the ingredients out. 

“Remember that time we snuck out of our rooms when Izzy and Meliorn broke up and Mom came down to yell at us for Alec making pancakes in the middle of the night. She was trying to be so mad, but she kept smiling because she thought it was cute that we were all trying to take care of Iz.” Max smiled when Izzy reached over and put her arm around him. 

Alec laughed and started to stir the milk heating on the burner. “We would have been fine if Jace could just keep his mouth shut. He was trying so hard to make Izzy laugh that it woke Mom up.”

“Oh, what about the first time we had this? When Jace broke his arm on the playground at school and wouldn’t stop crying until he saw Alec,” Izzy added. 

“What? I don’t remember that,” Max replied as he took the mug Alec offered to him. 

“Yeah, you were probably too young to remember this. Mom told Jace that he had to be careful because if he got hurt, it would hurt Alec too. He was always trying to do crazy stuff on the swing set and she thought he would settle down if there was potential of Alec being upset about it. So when he broke his arm, he was convinced that Alec’s arm was also broken even though Mom just meant that Alec would be sad if Jace couldn’t play when he got hurt.”

Alec rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter. “The nurse had to call me out of class and Lydia’s mom took me home because Jace refused to say or do anything until he saw me. He hugged me for hours and just kept apologizing so I asked Mom to make us some hot chocolate and I built a blanket fort in the living room. I brought you and Izzy inside once Dad brought you home from daycare. You were barely a year old at that point, but you sat with us the whole time. That was the very first hot chocolate huddle we ever had and after that, it became a thing when any of us were sad.” 

Izzy got up and took Alec’s hand to bring them back into the living room where they all snuggled up on the couch. “Thank you for taking care of us, big brother,” she whispered as she leaned her head on his shoulder and let Max fling his legs across both of them. 

“Always, I love you,” Alec answered before they both said it back. The three of them sipped quietly on their drinks while random infomercials filters through the television. 

After twenty minutes, Max was dozing off and Izzy had already curled into Alec’s side, hot chocolate long forgotten. Alec moved all their mugs to the coffee table and spread the blanket from the back of the couch over all three of them. He kissed both their foreheads and let himself fall back asleep. 

\---

The family was sat in the hospital waiting room together waiting for the nurse to get Alec for his meeting with the doctor. The kids all went to their normal day places while the adults all went to the hospital together. It helped that they were the only family in the ICU that morning, it gave them more space to breathe. 

Luke and Maryse sat together talking quietly with Simon, Clary, and Magnus. Alec paced while Izzy sat between Jace and Max who were talking about their brother and their worries for him. 

“Wait, you had HCH without me!? Not cool, guys,” Jace said suddenly, startling Alec from his pacing. 

“It’s not like we planned it. Al woke up because he heard us talking and decided to have one because we were upset. He took care of us, like usual,” Max answered as he looked between his brothers with a smile. 

Alec rolled his eyes while Izzy patted Jace’s arm. “Plus, it definitely wasn’t a normal one. Max fell asleep as soon as Alec got the blanket out. We didn’t even really talk.” 

“Sorry to interrupt,” Simon said causing all four siblings to shift their focus towards him. “What is an HCH?” 

Maryse smiled at her kids who all looked a little shy as the they looked between each other to see who would answer. Alec, of course, took the lead. “Uh...it’s a hot chocolate huddle…” he said while scratching the back of his neck and looking down. 

No one seemed to react as there was still confusion so Izzy filled the gaps. “When we were little, Alec started this thing that we eventually called a hot chocolate huddle. He would have Mom make us hot chocolate and he would build a blanket fort whenever any of us were sad or got hurt. We would spend the rest of the night in the fort together to talk about it or just watch movies and take a nap. It just kind of stuck as what we do when we have a bad day and need each other.” 

“That’s adorable. How have we never heard of this before?” Clary replied with a big smile. 

“Um...I guess it’s Lightwood sibling exclusive,” Jace answered. “We try not to do them without each other so we really only have them when Max is home or when it’s super necessary and we can FaceTime Max. We have included the kids before though.” 

Alec smiled at that and decided to jump in. “Whenever one of you has to go out of town,” Alec started as he pointed between their spouses, “we get together at their house and have one. Sometimes we keep the kids with us and sometimes we take them to Mom’s house.”

“Is that why Rafe and Max asked me to make hot chocolate for all the kids last night?” Luke asked with a soft smile directed at Alec. 

“They did?” Alec asked genuinely, feeling his heart warm inside his chest. 

Luke nodded and watched all four of the Lightwood siblings share a private loving look. “Yes. When we told them it was time to get ready for bed, Max came to me while Rafael was collecting blankets saying they needed hot chocolate in Sophia’s room for everyone. I made a couple mugs for them to share and that’s why they all slept in there.” 

Alec felt himself tearing up at knowing his boys were comforting the family like he did. Jace got up and patted him on the shoulder. “Damn, definitely your kids, bro.” 

Everyone laughed while Magnus caught Alec’s eye for them to share a moment of recognition that they are doing this whole parenting thing right. Unfortunately, the family moment was cut short by a knock on the door and the nurse from before, Jessie, asking for Alec. He looked back at everyone and didn’t move from where he was standing until Magnus came over to give him a reassuring hug. “We are just down the hall, love. Come back whenever you need to.” 

Alec nodded and let Magnus give him a reassuring kiss before following the nurse down the hall to Robert’s room. The doctor and Alec spoke for about ten minutes so she could explain the process of removing life support. “We typically give families about an hour to say their goodbyes before we come in to start disconnecting the machines. There is a volunteer outside the room who can go get the family members for you as you ask for them or we can just have them all come at once. It’s completely up to you,” Dr. Oakland stated as she grabbed the chart to leave the room. 

Alec thanked her and paced the room for a few seconds, unsure of asking for who he wanted to talk to first. He went to the door and saw the volunteer offer a sad smile before he asked for the first family member and turned to go back to the end of the bed. He found that was the easiest spot for him to process things. He could see the whole room but also lean himself on the tray that sat at the end when he was caught between sitting and standing. 

The family had been moved to a private waiting room so they could all sit together without the general waiting area stress. A knock on the door distracted them from the conversation they were having about the kids. 

“Hello, my name is Kara. I am a volunteer, I will be the one coming to retrieve family members at Mr. Lightwood-Bane’s request.”

“Thank you, Kara, we appreciate the support,” Magnus offered as no one else seemed to know how to respond. “Also, feel free to call him Alec, dear. He would definitely prefer that.” 

The volunteer nodded with a smile. “Well, Mist-sorry, Alec asked for Simon first.” 

“Really?” Simon responded out of instinct, surprised that he was invited in without Isabelle. Luke coughed and Simon shook off his initial shock. “Yeah, uh, that’s me,” he said as he got up, still looking confused as he heard Max and Jace voice similar confusion. 

Simon knocked on the door and saw Alec turn his head with a tense attempt of a smile. “Hey man, how you holding up?”

Alec sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “How did you do it? How did you manage this?” 

Simon had never heard his brother-in-law this distraught before. He knew instantly what Alec was referring to though. Simon’s father had been an abusive alcoholic towards his mother for as long as Simon could remember. 

When he was in college, his father went into liver failure and died just months after he starting dating Izzy. The Lightwoods had become a safe haven for him during that time and it was actually what brought Jace and Clary together as a couple. Even though Simon hated his father most of the time, he still took the death hard and grieved as if he had the perfect dad. 

Alec took his silence as needing clarification. “I don’t want to bring up bad memories for you, Si, but I feel like you understand me more than anyone else could right now. This man ruined me at one point. My senior year and college years were hell because of him. Why do I feel so much grief when I spent so much time hating him? He hurt all of us, the whole family and yet here I am, almost in tears over my father. How did you get through it?” 

Simon walked over and gently patted Alec’s shoulder. “My family, Alec. My mother, my sister, Clary, Isabelle...hell, you pretty much hated me back then but even you helped. I surrounded myself with the people who told me grief was okay and supported me. Was my father a horrible person? Absolutely. Was your father a horrible person? At some point, yes. Did we both hate them as people? 100%. At the end of the day, were they still our fathers who had a part in raising us and made us the men we are now? Were they still family? Yes, and losing your family is one of the hardest things we deal with in life. So don’t hate yourself for grieving him, let yourself breakdown because you have people here to put you back together.”

“Thank you, Simon,” Alec whispered as he turned to hug him. He held the embrace for a few seconds before he added, “And Simon, I never hated you. I want you to know that. If you haven’t noticed, I’m quite protective over Isabelle and you were just the immediate target then.” 

Simon huffed a laugh and broke the hug slightly to look at Alec, “You don’t say?”

Alec smiled genuinely and nodded in response. “Yeah, I know I was hard on you, but I just had to make sure you were good enough for her. You more than proved yourself, I’m glad you are a part of this family, Simon. I always have been.” 

“Right back at ya, big guy,” Simon said as he patted Alec’s arm with an even wider smile. “I’ve thought of you as a big brother for a long time, Alec. And brothers don’t let brothers go through this kind of thing alone.” 

Alec nodded as his expression sobered back to the sight of his father in front of him. “Thank you again, seriously.” After a brief shared silence, Alec spoke up again. “Si, could you send in Isabelle and Max? I really need them.” 

“Of course, they need you too,” Simon said as he turned to leave the room as Kara followed him down the hall. He made his way back and walked back into the waiting room to see all eyes turned on him. “Alec’s alright, I promise.” 

The collective sigh nearly echoed off the wall it was so loud. “Iz, Max, he asked for you two,” Simon said as he moved to take his seat again. 

Izzy nodded and got up before bending back down to hug her husband. “Thank you...for taking care of him,” Izzy whispered as she shared a knowing look with Simon suggesting that she knew why Alec asked for him. Simon kissed her cheek and helped her back up so she could grab Max’s hand and head down the hall.

As soon as Izzy and Max got to the door, Izzy felt her knees go weak. She sees people intubated almost everyday of her life at work and yet, when it’s your family, the world shifts. Then her eyes shift to her big brother who looks like he could vomit one second and punch something the next and she feels the emotions like fire in her chest. 

“A-Al…” she whispered and walked straight into his open arms, tucking her head into his chest. 

“Shh, Iz, I got you, it’s okay,” he whispered and let her cry into his shirt. Alec looked up while Izzy clung to him to see Max stood still in the doorway with a confused but pained look on his face. “Max, come here.” 

Max did not hesitate as soon as he processed what Alec said to him. He quickly crossed the room and let himself fall into Alec’s open arm, comfortably tucking his head into his brother’s shoulder since he was only a few inches shorter than Alec. Max brought one arm around Izzy so both brothers were holding her while she cried. 

They let a few minutes pass in silence before Max pulled away slightly. “I’m still really not sure how I feel. I keep getting angry at myself for being sad.”

“That’s okay, bud. Grief is never easy and you are allowed to be sad. You don’t have make yourself feel anything, Max,” Alec answered as he watched Max continue to look distance but heavily upset while Alec still had a tearful Izzy attached to him. He knew the two people missing who could comfort them the best so he asked, “Hey Max, why don’t you ask Kara to go get Mom and Jace?”

Max looked up at Alec with shining eyes and grateful smile as he nodded and headed to the door. He returned to Alec and Izzy’s hug for a few minutes before Maryse appeared at the door with Jace by her side. “Mama…” Alec whispered. 

She locked eyes with her oldest son who looked like he was on the edge of a breakdown while simultaneously being the strong pillar of support for his siblings. She went to them and placed a hand in Izzy’s hair and one on Max’s back who both turned around into her open embrace. “It’s okay, mijo,” she said as Alec looked between his adoptive brother and his mother. 

Jace made his way farther in the room and Alec met him halfway, pulling him into his arms and hiding his face in Jace’s shoulder. They hugged each other silently while Maryse calmed Max and Izzy. After about five minutes of silence, Alec moved out of Jace’s arms with a pat on the shoulder and grateful smile. 

Alec asked Kara to bring the rest of the family in since they were getting close to their hour being up. Alec sat on Robert’s bedside while Maryse moved herself and Max to the couch behind him. Izzy pulled up a chair next to Alec but stood beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. Jace took Alec’s previous spot standing at the end of the bed. 

The others arrived at the door and Clary immediately buried herself in Jace’s side while Luke went to sit beside Maryse. Simon and Magnus stayed back as they let Alec and Isabelle have their moment. The room was silent except a small whisper coming from Alec and Isabelle who were praying together over Robert. Alec turned his head to kiss Izzy’s temple once they finished causing her to sniffle back the last of her tears before she went to Simon. 

Alec did not turn around to watch her, but he heard their soft voices as Simon was comforting Izzy as well as Clary’s voice in the mix behind him. He felt Magnus’ hand slide across his shoulders and into his hair causing him to tilt his head up to look at his husband. 

“You doing okay?” Magnus whispered so quietly that Alec barely heard him. Alec nodded and leaned into Magnus’ chest, welcoming the silence again. The doctor came in with a few nurses soon after and explained a few things over again before starting to turn off the machines. 47 minutes later, the family quietly left the room and went back to Magnus and Alec’s loft together. 

\---

As the arrangements had already been planned, the services would be held within the coming days. Emotions continued to run high and confused as they had to go back to work and process the past week. The family was still largely worried about Alec and Izzy who were clearly taking it the hardest, especially after reading Robert’s letters. 

Sunday evening came and with the funeral being the next morning, Maryse decided they would just order pizzas for family dinner at her house. They had all been talking about work and things coming up with kids instead of the obvious topic of recent conversation. Clary and Jace had brought out the board games and had successfully distracted all of the kids and Simon. 

“Al, can we talk? Just us?” Max asked as everyone was watching the kids fight over Candyland characters. 

Alec looked up at his brother with a worried expression. “Of course, bud. Let’s go out on the patio.” They got up and walked out of the glass sliding door, Alec closing the door nearly all the way behind them. 

“I want to tell you something, but I wanted it to be just you first before I told everyone. It just is kind of a big thing and it is really important to you and-” Max started as soon as they were alone. 

“You can tell me anything, Max. You know that, right? You don’t have to reason yourself,” Alec cut him off. Max wasn’t typically one to ramble so it made him worry. 

Max nodded at his brother’s response. “I know, Al, I promise. That’s why I’m talking to you now...because I know I can.” 

“Alright, then what’s up?” 

“I, uh, I got a new job...well, a new job offer. My last spread got picked up by Nat Geo again and this time I got offered a full time position instead of freelancing,” Max said slowly, a smile growing on his face. 

Alec’s smile matched his brother’s as he motioned for Max to continue. “That’s amazing, bud! When do you start?” 

“Well, that’s the thing. I would be relocating to one of their US offices because it’s more publishing based than travel. I chose the New York office. I’m moving back home,” Max explained, his smile growing even farther when he saw tears build up in Alec’s eyes. 

“Dios mio, Maxie,” Alec whispered as he pulled his brother into a tight hug. They held the hug for a few minutes letting all the emotions of the week bleed out. “When do...where are...how-”

Max started laughing as Alec tried to piece together a full question. “Don’t hurt yourself, Al. I actually have another thing I want to talk to you about. Good news, I promise.” 

“Okay, go for it. This is exactly what I needed right now,” Alec said, giving Max the confidence to continue. 

“I actually talked to Magnus about this a few days ago. I wanted it to be you first, but something came up that I needed to voice to him,” Max explained and waited for Alec’s accepting nod. 

“Max, I’m not upset with you for talking to someone else. You have every right to talk to anyone about your life that you are comfortable with, especially my husband. He’s a great listener, trust me,” Alec replied with a comforting smile as he felt the anxiety radiating off of Max. 

Max smiled back and sighed the tension out of his shoulders. “We talked about me renting the loft from you guys. Ella is moving with me because she got a job in New York too. I thought that you might be more open to moving into the penthouse if you didn’t actually have to sell the loft. You and Magnus would still own it, but maybe El and I could start our own family there someday.”

“Magnus and I will have to talk about it more, but that does sound really great, bud. It’s nice to hear you talking about settling down,” Alec answered honestly, still slightly unsure about the Lightwood estate. 

“Yeah, well, I was hoping that you would maybe go to a few jewelry stores with me while I’m home this week. Jace and Simon too. After all this is over, of course,” Max said with his head ducked a blush growing on his cheeks. 

Alec pulled Max into another hug. “I’d love to. We can take you to the place where we got Magnus, Iz, and Clary’s rings.” 

\---

The funeral had been quiet and small as expected. Everyone from the law firm came to support the Lightwoods and the rest were odd acquaintances from years past that knew Robert briefly. A group of doctors and nurses came from Izzy’s floor at the hospital and Ella, Max’s girlfriend, had arrived that morning from South Africa surprising the family. The priest gave a general sermon and the family had placed roses on the casket before the short ceremony ended. 

The family started to dwindle off from their post at the gravesite starting with Simon and Clary who walked their kids back to the church with Ella for snacks. Luke and Magnus stood farther back letting the Lightwood children stand with Maryse. She eventually took Jace and Max by the hand leaving just Alec and Isabelle. 

Izzy gave Alec’s hand a tight squeeze and turned around. Magnus came and offered his hand since decided to wear her normal heels in a grassy cemetery while being five months pregnant. She motioning for the family to give Alec some more time. As they all started to walk away, Rafael tugged on Magnus’ hand to stop him. “Papa, can I go talk to Daddy?” 

Magnus crouched down as the rest of the family stopped to wait. He ran his hand through Rafael’s hair and said, “You can ask him, sweetheart, but he might want to be alone.” 

They watched Rafael walk up beside Alec and tap his hand while asking something quietly. Alec’s face flashed with a tiny smile and he bent down to pick him up, resting him on his hip. Magnus smiled as he watched Rafael wrap his arms around Alec’s neck to pull him into a tight hug. 

“Are you okay, Daddy?” Rafael asked after a few minutes of standing in silence. They were the only two left outside so he figured it was alright to talk now. Papa and Tia Izzy told the kids they had to be quiet during the service, but he thought it was probably over. 

“I’m okay, hijo. I’m just a little sad right now,” Alec answered honestly as he held Rafael close. 

Rafael pulled back so he could look at his father. “It’s okay to be sad, Daddy,” Rafael whispered. “I was really sad before I met you because my mama was gone, but now I have you and Papa so I’m not sad anymore. And you have us to make you not sad too!” 

Alec felt tears well up in his eyes as he pressed a kiss to Rafael’s forehead. “That’s right, baby, I do. You’re so smart,” he whispered into Rafael’s hair and held him in another tight hug.

Rafael finally loosened his hold and smiled at Alec. “Can we go get snacks now, Daddy? Nana made cookies and Tia said she would hide them from Uncle Jace for us.” 

Alec let out a wet chuckle through his drying tears and started to walk back towards the church with Rafael in his arms. “Of course we can. And don’t worry, I’ll fight Uncle Jace for Nana’s cookies if I have to.” 

\---

Two weeks after the funeral, the family was doing better. 

Izzy and Maryse had some long emotional talks about Robert that brought Izzy some relief about her overwhelming and confusing sadness. Alec relied heavily on his children to bring him some of the lost happiness he was feeling. He took a week off work and just spent time with them at home or taking them to fun spots around the city. Max had gone back to South Africa to start packing his things and make plans for his move. Jace spent a lot of time with Alec, trying to shoulder some of his burden and talk through their grief together. 

Magnus and Max had been talking almost everyday about the loft situation. Alec was more and more convinced as the days passed to move into his childhood home, but there was still something holding him back that no one could figure out. Until Simon did. 

Sunday dinner was back at the loft and Alec had been putting Sophia down while the rest of the adults talked in the living room. “I just don’t understand why he is still hesitant. Max will be living here and you guys will still technically own the loft,” Jace said, his tone almost annoyed.

“Alexander is sentimental and both places hold a lot of underlying emotional connections. I don’t really know where he is at right now, he tends to avoid the question these past couple days. I will stand by whatever decision he makes,” Magnus replied, distraught that he is not understanding his husband fully for what feels like the first time in their relationship. 

“I think I might know. I don’t want to make assumptions, but I’ve been there. Uncertainty about our fathers is something we definitely share and have talked about lately. I honestly think that Alec is afraid of becoming Robert somehow. We all know that would never happen because Alec would never even entertain the thought of hurting his children in any way, but I think that is where his head is at right now. If he moves back into the house that was toxic for him, he will become toxic,” Simon explained, his voice catching here and there from past hidden emotions. 

Izzy took Simon’s hand in her own to comfort him. “That actually makes a lot of sense. Alec manages to find a way to still put himself down and it breaks my heart. No offense to anyone else, but Alec is easily the best parent any of us have ever met. There is no way he would ever do anything like our father did. If anything, Alec and Magnus will turn that back into a home again the minute they walk through the door.” 

The conversation was cut off by Magnus’ phone ringing. He reached to pick it up and looked up with worried eyes. “It’s our realtor.” 

There was another pause before Alec stepped into the room, his eyes a little puffy but a smile on his face. “Answer it, Mags. Tell her we are keeping the house.”

\---

Six weeks later, the paperwork was finally finished and Max was officially stateside again. The loft had been packed up and moved to Manhattan while Max and Ella’s belongings had refilled the empty spaces. Today was the first full day in the new house. The whole family was over to finish unpacking and have the first family dinner there. 

Alec had a hard time the first few times he had went to see the place with Magnus, his mother, and his sister. Robert still had old family pictures on the walls and the kids’ bedrooms had not changed. It brought back another round of unexpected grief and a week of refusal to go back from Alec until the feelings passed.

Now they only had a few boxes left and the old pictures had been replaced by newer, happier photos. The bedrooms had been gone through and converted into bedrooms for their children. The kitchen had been redone and Alec added patio furniture to the rooftop area. Izzy had been correct when she said the couple would make it home right away. 

Magnus had been telling Alec for weeks that they would make new memories in the home and replenish his happiness in the house. Little did Magnus know, their first night ‘home’ would be the start of many new memories. 

Max and Ella were playing with kids in the playroom while the others were setting up for dinner when Magnus went to check on them. He saw Max walking Sophia around the room, holding both his index fingers tightly in her little hands. Magnus and Max shared a knowing look and suddenly everyone heard Magnus’ voice calling out, “Alexander!” 

Alec dropped the towel from his hands and ran off down the hall. “What’s wrong!? What happened?!”

Max had a huge smile on his face as he looked up at his brother and pointed at him with one hand. “Look Sophie, who is that? Can you go see him?” 

Sophia giggled and took a step towards Alec while still holding onto Max’s hand. Magnus pulled out his phone to record it while the rest of their family made their way towards the commotion. 

“Hey baby girl, come here. You can do it, Soph. Walk to Daddy,” Alec said softly as he crouched down to her level a couple feet away with his hands extended. 

“Dada! Dada!” Sophia cried out as she let go of Max’s finger and took the first step on her own. 

Alec smiled back and motioned with his hands for her to keep going. “That’s right, Soph. You can do it, come on.” 

Sophia stumbled through the next three steps and fell into Alec’s arms with loud giggles. Alec pulled her into a hug and stood up with a huge smile on his face. “That’s my girl! Good job, Soph!” he exclaimed as he raised her up and brought her back down into his hold. 

The family was clapping and laughing at Sophia, congratulating her while Maryse and Magnus both swiped tears away from their eyes. Alec held Sophia over for Magnus to take who wrapped her up in a similar hug and kissed her forehead. 

Alec looked around and saw his entire family laughing and smiling in his new home. His old but new home that held the key to many emotions and old memories. However, standing here where his daughter took her first steps, he felt a feeling of happiness and love that he had been struggling to find in the past couple weeks. He could now say without a doubt that he was where he was supposed to be. 

That was the first of many wonderful memories made in the new Lightwood-Bane home.


End file.
